The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

Percival gestured reassuringly for Vivienne to walk in.

Griffin didn’t give a damn, shot Audrey a glowering look, and shoved open the door to let Vivienne in, “Grandpa’s in your hands now, Vivienne.”

Vivienne stumbled a bit from the push. Thankfully, her footing was solid, or she might have ended up face-first on the floor.

Talk about unexpected. No wonder she caught Leopold’s eye. Both of them had a way of taking you by surprise.

…

Meanwhile, Kala was holed up at home.

When Darren got back from wrapping up some work outside, he walked in to find her chilling and watching TV, “Kala, you alright? All that online drama sorted out?”

Kala popped a potato chip into her mouth, “Not even close.”

“So, you’re just… chilling?”

How could she be so laid-back?

Ronald came out of the kitchen with a fruit bowl in his hands. “Don’t mind her. She’s been like this since she got back from the studio. Vivienne called earlier. The agency’s taking over the whole mess, told her to take a few days off. Kala’s over the moon.”

“Well, she’s happy, at least.”

Darren was exasperated. “The agency’s swamped. Ramona came prepared; high-def videos are all over the net, and the trolls are practically crashing the platforms with their venom.”

As he spoke, he couldn’t even understand. “I’m baffled, really. What’s your beef with Ramona that she’d set up such a scheme to target you?”

“She’s not after me.” Kala finally tore her gaze away from the screen. “She’s trying to drive a wedge between me and Vivienne, though I can’t fathom her endgame.”

“But she’s a lousy actress,” Kala spread her hands dismissively, “I’m not falling for such a cheap trick.”

“That’s my cousin. I thought you were gonna be mobbed today when I heard

confrontation. but he had seen more than enough

first

and tidy: parents

graduating from an Ivy League school, there wasn’t much else notable about her. Her sudden rise to fame in the cutthroat entertainment industry

hearing Darren’s take. “Seems like our adversary isn’t afraid of us

behind her has been laying the groundwork for a while now. Probably tied to that organization, the

organization?” Kala

to talk to Ronald, they kept their conversation private in

of it and was largely in the

out of touch for ages. Are you guys into something I

Revealing anything might blow his past involvement

of irritation for his loose lips, he switched off the TV and

…

Meanwhile, at CK Penitentiary.

fully sealed room, identical to any ordinary cell, there was a bed, a desk, and even a coffee table set with coffee paraphernalia, indistinguishable from those outside, with the serene scent of

unmarked grave, was sitting calmly at the coffee table. His wrists

who knew him when he was alive, his face always wearing a faint, serene smile. He

focused at all. They were cold, empty, devoid of any emotion, much like a

a machine. A flawed prototype of the androids developed by Ronald, capable of mimicking human actions

due to

might draw out the

considered that, at this point, no one from GTO would risk their

Anna laughed at his fanciful thinking, saying he was

didn’t object. After all, it was just an android following commands. And CK wasn’t really of any strategic value; it was just bait in the water; who knew what it

the android that had survived a series of unfortunate events remained there, with the surveillance team having lost all hope

today, it seemed like there was a fish nibbling at the